CREAM #3METADATA MEANS MORE

CREAM identified a novel concept – the active use of metadata.

This requires researching to understand. We can now offer guidance and prototype tools.Data creation, visualisation, analysis, integration.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? WHERE’S THE IMPACT?

Regrettably typical ELN entry

Link is metadat

a

No attempt to find a solution §

Potentially active metadat

a

§ New metadata value: http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.13860434.html

ACTIVE USE OF METADATA: GEOSMETA EXAMPLE

Documents [circles] hold

metadata for run

Active use:Process chain

Active use:Status change

=> No reuse

Files [squares] are generated by

a run

Status:Red => Error

Status:Orange =>

Downstream of error

ACHIEVEMENTS IN PHASES 1 AND 2:• COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARTNERS NEW COMMUNITY FORMED• UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF TACIT AND MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN

MAKING DECISIONS INVOLVING THE ACTIVE USE OF METADATA• RECOGNISING THE BROAD SCOPE FOR ACTIVE USE IN A VARIETY OF DOMAINS• SCIENTISTS AND ARTISTS WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER• EVOLVING A RELIABLE SHARED LANGUAGE (AKA GLOSSARY)• EVOLVING A METHODOLOGY FOR CHARACTERISING ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL ACTIVE

USE• ARTICULATING REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO SPECIFYING THE TOOLSET• APPRECIATING IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON DATA• INVESTIGATING TECHNIQUES FOR VISUALISING METADATA USAGE

CREAM GOAL: ENABLE, DURING A PROJECT/TASK, COLLECTION AND USE OF METADATA  THAT  INFORMS  FUTURE DECISIONS

CREAM FOCUS: ENCOURAGE GATHERING OF METADATA THROUGH EMPOWERING RESEARCHERS BY ITS ACTIVE USE

• IN THE BEGINNING…• IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING USE OF METADATA ACTIVELY • DEVELOP A COMMON VOCABULARY / SCHEMA – USING • PROVIDING EXEMPLARS TO PROMOTE AND ILLUSTRATE THE VALUE OF ACTIVE

METADATA• As a result of this work, we find we now need…

• A framework to develop and support the concept• Building communities that use and support the active use of metadata• A Reliable Shared Language• A toolset to support and enable identification, capture, manipulation and reuse of

metadata used actively

DELIVERING THE RELIABLE SHARED LANGUAGE

• A TOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE COMMUNITY IS REQUIRED• A SEED: HTTPS://BLOG.SOTON.AC.UK/CREAM/GLOSSARY/

DELIVERING TOOLSETS: ASSEMBLE (PROTOTYPES) TO:

• CAN BE APPLIED AT ANY SCALE IE AN INDIVIDUAL PIECE OF WORK OR ACROSS ENTIRE PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES.

Capture

• Flexible tools to capture context and tacit information dynamically

Structure

• Generate structured interpretation of this information (ontologies)

Align• Align vocabularies/terms from different sources: coherent view

across overall processVisuali

se• View and pivot to generate/accommodate different perspectives

Share• Make available in a form that can be consumed and built on

PATHS TO DELIVERY

RELIABLE SHARED LANGUAGE SOTON; UAL

TOOLSET STFC; 9X9; SOTON

STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK STFC; 9X9; SOTON; FORMING CONCRETE COMMUNITIES UAL; EDINBURGH

COORDINATION SOTON

COMMUNITY

GUIDANCEPROTOTYPES

CREAM

FUNDING & SUSTAINABILITY• RELIABLE SHARED LANGUAGE -> JISC• TOOLSET (INCLUDING 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE) -> GITHUB• DOCUMENTATION DELIVERABLES -> JISC REPOSITORY• CONCRETE COMMUNITIES DELIVERABLE -> SEED THEIR FORMATION?• BUILD ON PRESENCE AT IDCC16 (NOTABLY WORKSHOP)• PROJECT PARTNERS WILL CARRY THIS INITIATIVE ON…

• EMBEDDING IN PARTNERS’ SYSTEMS, PROCESSES, COMMUNITIES, ETC• ANNALIST INDEPENDENT

FURTHER DETAILS

• MUCH OF THE REAL DATA WE HAVE EXAMINED TENDS TO FOCUS ON SPECIFIC ARTIFACTS USED BY INDIVIDUAL STEPS OF A PROCESS, WITH A TENDENCY TO FOCUS ON VERY PROCESS-SPECIFIC ATTRIBUTES.  • PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE IS TO SEE THESE

PROCESS STEPS AND VALUES IN THE CONTEXT OF A WIDER PROCESS (OR WORKFLOW?) COMPRISING A NUMBER OF STEPS, AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH DECISIONS MADE BY A PERSON CONTROLLING THE PROCESS.  • THROUGH THIS, WE AIM TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW VALUES

RECORDED IN ONE STEP OF A PROCESS IMPACT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VALUES AND DECISIONS IN OTHER STEPS OF THE SAME PROCESS.

PROTOTYPES• STFC LASERS FOR SCIENCE - IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

GENERATED ACTIVELY; EXTEND THE TOOLSET AND ICAT TO SUPPORT.• ECRYSTALS - REQUIRES WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH SOFTWARE

GENERATING THE DATA TO EXPORT IN-PROCESS INFORMATION.• GEOSMETA – DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ACTIVE USE , SO FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT WILL INCORPORATE CREAM PHILOSOPHY• ‘SMOKE’ GETS IN YOUR ‘FOG’ – ACTIVE TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE

FROM ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER; SUPPORT FOR PROCEDURAL BLENDING